The Showdown
by Timemaker
Summary: What Happened After #54? Sure, The Ellimist cannot interfere, but what if something else did... Chapter 6 NOW POSTED, PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!
1. Fate

Chapter 1-  
  
Hello  
  
You don't know me. Considering things, this is probably a very good thing.  
  
Albert Einstein, Galileo, George Washington, Jesus Christ, Abraham Lincoln, Copernicus, Stephen Hawking.  
  
They all knew me. They were happy accidents of a simple mathematical formula. Leaders in the mind, spirit, and heart. They had been trouble sometimes, Albert in particular. Blackmailing me for the Theory of Relativity. Or, more specifically, the exception thereof.  
  
He knew, of course, that I could wipe him from existence in a heartbeat. He also was intelligent enough to know I wouldn't.  
  
I Instilled in them thoughts, Ideas, Concepts, and beliefs that changed the world. Well, one world in particular.  
  
I sat with my cup of coffee, watching the universe swirl and expand before me.  
  
I can do that, you know.  
  
I have been here since the beginning of time. Not HERE specifically, but around.  
  
I watched, long ago, as matter coalesced, and pulled into itself. Into a ball the size of a pea. Then I threw the switch. Well, it wasn't really a switch, but you know what I mean.  
  
Big Bang? Yeah, that was I. I even provided the explanation. To most species. Some, namely the people of the Ellimist and Crayak, were able to figure it out with very little help. They even figured out how to manipulate space-time, but you know that story.  
  
Over the billions of years, I have poked and prodded. Changed a galaxy here, gave a planet an orbit there. Watched as the others of my species went off and created universes of there own. Always peaceful from the get go. No conflict.  
  
Sorry, not here. I prefer that my universe has to strive for peace. Had to WANT peace.  
  
Earth was my pet project. Not a random creation of the simple mathematical problem like the rest of it. Earth was a puzzle within itself.  
  
I started slow. Bacteria. Multi-celled organisms. Dinosaurs. Small mammals.  
  
Humans.  
  
The first sentient Life form on the third planet from the star Sol. A contradiction in itself. A species that wishes for peace, yet can only find the solution in war and death.  
  
Perfect.  
  
When things got truly out of hand, I would, of course, dip my hand into the midst. Equalize the playing field. Even tried a big booming voice from the sky once.  
  
The Yeerks were imperfect. An error in the mathematics. A glitch in the delicate addition and subtraction that is the universe.  
  
While I preferred to see a struggle for peace, a want for the necessity of life, I had written nothing in that included a suppression of free will.  
  
Slavery is an invention of itself. I am not that sick. Not that deranged. Not that perverted to take away the free will of a species. Or a race, as it were. Intelligent species around the universe thought that one up themselves.  
  
Problem: The Yeerks were a sentient species. Even though they were a 'glitch' they were a living, thinking glitch. The highest rule is that I cannot interfere with the demise of an intelligent species. I cannot directly bring it about, or slow it down. I can, however, bend the rule to my will. I started it, after all. I can change the math. Create exceptions. The Animorphs, for example. Five humans and an Andalite capable of defeating the Yeerk Empire, by using a technology provided by the Andalites. The ability to become any animal they touch by absorbing its DNA into their own. I had changed things for them many times. Saved them from death.  
  
Rachel died because of my lack of action, and my foresight of the future. I prefer a struggle for peace. I knew she would not truly die. Not at that moment, anyway. It would be a struggle of her will. But, if she were determined, she would pull through.  
  
I am no god. That is something else. A Belief. Worship. Even I do not know what happens after death. I have been perceived as a god. But I am nothing of the type. I am simply the controller of the universe.  
  
I am the subject of Clichés. Sayings as old as time. "Then fate intervened." "but fate was with me". Other names, in other languages. But none so descriptive.  
  
I shall be known, to you anyways, as fate. Not "god" or the "great and powerful manipulator." Simply Fate. That is my name. Fate.  
  
And I watched as Marco, Jake, and Tobias crashed their ship into the Blade ship. Watched the explosion. Watched the bodies drift into space. Knew that finally, the Yeerk plague had been lifted from the universe.  
  
I watched the Ellimist as I finished my Coffee. As he explained what they had done. That they had freed the universe from a threat that had doomed it. Watched Jake make his final request. That Cassie be informed what had happened. Watched Tobias Smile, knowing he would soon join Rachel forever. If only he knew.. Watched Marco make a wisecrack about dying.  
  
I watched time continue. As the Animorphs died.  
  
I set down my coffee cup on a table that appeared by my side. Freed of the burden in my hand, I snapped my fingers. Five humans and an Andalite appeared before me. 


	2. Fate Intervines

Chapter 2-  
  
Tobias  
  
I knew, right then, that my life was over.  
  
Saw that smile on Jake's face. That familiar smile. Rachel's smile.  
  
"Full emergency power to the engines," Jake said. "Ram the Blade ship."  
  
Dangerous. Deadly. Beautiful. Rachel.  
  
The gap between us and the blade ship closed quickly. The screen flashed and disappeared as the bulkhead behind it was torn away. The deafening explosion of the engines over shadowed the moaning and creaking of the ship.  
  
I felt the air being sucked out of my tiny lungs. Felt the cold of space through my feathers. Watched as my friends were sucked out of the bridge through the gaping hole.  
  
I gasped for air. Air that did not exist in space. My lungs screamed in pain.  
  
I felt the capillaries in my wings close. My vision blurred as the whites of my eyes froze. Felt my brain shutting down.  
  
Rachel......  
  
Suddenly my senses returned. I could feel fingers and toes. My vision was narrow. I was human.  
  
Of course. The Ellimist. I should of known the all-powerful weakling would put his two cents in. He couldn't just let us die.  
  
I smiled. 'Soon enough, I'll be with Rachel.' I thought to myself. 'Soon enough.'  
  
I listened attentively as the Ellimist explained there was nothing he could do. That the rules of the game prevented him from doing anything about our deaths. That our sacrifice had not been in vain, that it had prevented a 2000-year tyranny of the Yeerks. Billions had been saved.  
  
I pretended to listen to Marco's joke, but I wasn't interested. We said our goodbyes. Jake asked for the Ellimist to inform Cassie as to what had happened to us. He said he would.  
  
The Ellimist said farewell. I felt my consciousness slip back into my bird body. At least no one would call me bird- boy anymore.  
  
My body began to spasm. A reflex to generate heat in my muscles when the bird's body was hypothermic. Too bad it doesn't work at -370 degrees. I felt the vertebra in my back snap.  
  
I died..  
  
*****  
  
I awoke on my feet in my human form.  
  
Not quite right, I was supposed to be dead.  
  
'Maybe this is what death is like,' I thought to myself.  
  
That's when I saw the others. Ax. Jake. Marco Cassie.  
  
Rachel.  
  
At that moment, it didn't matter to me if I were dead or alive. All the feelings I had buried away so long ago came rushing back. The one who had cared about me. Loved me. Gone to a war.  
  
There she was, inches away. I don't remember bridging the gap between us. I just remember that one minute she was next to me, looking at me, tears in her eyes. The next, I was in her arms, with tears in my eyes.  
  
All the time that she had been dead, I had held back my emotions. My pain. My suffering. My love.  
  
And now here she was. In my arms. Smiling.  
  
I leaned in and kissed her. Brushed her wild blond hair away from eyes. Looked into her eyes and deep down into her soul. And found the same love I had for her, looking back at me.  
  
"Rachel.."  
  
She wiped a tear from my cheek. I wiped a tear from hers.  
  
"I should have said this long ago."  
  
Her eyes sparkled in the starlight behind us.  
  
"I love you now and I forever will"  
  
I leaned in and kissed her again. "Ahem" Marco, of course.  
  
I gave him a look that, in not so many words, told him I was about to rip his head off.  
  
"What do you think?"  
  
A voice. None of ours, but someone else's. A voice of power, authority.  
  
"The universe certainly is beautiful tonight, thanks to you"  
  
Ok. This was kind of freaky. That jumble of stars that had been to my back. That was the universe?  
  
Rachel stepped next to me. Our hands together, never breaking apart for a moment. I had lost her once; I wasn't going to let her go any time soon.  
  
"Watch." The voice, booming in my head.  
  
The stars disappeared, zooming into one. Narrowing further. A blue green circle.  
  
Earth.  
  
"You have saved it, and for that much is owed."  
  
The image of earth began to shimmer. It became a man. Maybe thirty five. Moustache. Glasses. Looked kind of what I expected myself to look like in twenty years.  
  
"You have a slight problem however. You are all dead."  
  
The words stung. Dead.  
  
***  
  
Cassie-  
  
The rocky outcropping was a tough climb. The handholds were getting smaller and smaller. I considered morphing, but dismissed it.  
  
My hand slipped. My grip had failed me. And there was no rope to stop me.  
  
I tried morphing to a bird. My thoughts were too jumbled. What the Ellimist had told me.  
  
The ground rushed up at me. I heard Ronnie's cry  
  
"NOOOOOOO!"  
  
I hit the ground. The impact crushed my ribcage. I felt the pain. Not enough time.  
  
I awoke with the others. In a place indescribable. Galaxies swirled and tumbled. Stars came to life and died. Watched the emotional scene between Tobias and Rachel, too confused and shocked to react to anything.  
  
I saw Jake out of the corner of my eye. He was looking at me.  
  
***  
  
Tobias-  
  
The man spoke again.  
  
" While you are all dead, this is not how it must remain. You have a choice. Accept it, and you will have the opportunity to live. If you are strong enough. If you pass the test."  
  
Marco finally spoke up for all of us. "What if we refuse? What if were tired of playing these little games?"  
  
The person spoke. "Then you will go back to what you were. Dead. With no consciousness. You will return to what it is that happens to all dead beings."  
  
Jake stepped forward. "Who are you? Are you god? You aren't the Ellimist or Crayak. What do you want?"  
  
Laughter. "The Ellimist and Crayak are mere beings, like yourself. No, I am no god, simply the overseer."  
  
Pictures flashed through my mind. The Big Bang. Galaxies. Planets. I suddenly knew everything. The history of time and the universe. What we had to do to survive.  
  
Face our inner demons.  
  
Do it successfully, and we live. Fail, and we die.  
  
"Whoa." The others and myself said it collectively. I guess they had seen it too.  
  
"Call me Fate. I control everything. You have ten of your minutes to decide. "  
  
Marco smirked. "For the eight millionth time, They're EVERYONE'S MINUTES!!"  
  
***** Some Quick Notes...  
  
I do NOT own the Animorphs series in any way, shape, or form.  
  
I am very disappointed in the way #54 ended, to say the least. That's why I'm writing this continuation.  
  
Please read and review this story, PLEASE. Your feedback shapes the plot.  
  
I will post more soon. Peace out! 


	3. Second Reunion

Chapter 3 –

Jake 

I considered my choices.

1) Die, just like I was about to.

2) Face my inner demons, and live if I was strong enough.

Only problem was, I didn't really feel like dealing with what was buried in my mind. All the indecision. All the battles and blood and gore. And that final decision I made that day orbiting earth in the Pool ship. 

The one which had killed Rachel, or so I had thought.

The one that had definitely killed Tom.

So much indecision, and only ten minutes. Ten Minutes to review my entire life after that night in the construction site. To decide if I wanted to go on.

I knew what Rachel and Tobias would choose. 

Pretty sure I knew what Marco and Ax would choose. 

Cassie. 

She was staring at me. I knew she wanted to talk, but…

Things between us just weren't the same. They hadn't been. Not after she had let Tom get away with the morphing cube. I had tried…

No. Not going there. I wasn't going to…

It was about this time that I realized Cassie was dragging me away from the group. 

"Look, Cassie," I said. "I don't know what happened, but you obviously shouldn't be here. And frankly, I have nothing to say to you."

Then she smacked me. 

"Jake, Listen to me. And listen to me carefully."

Cassie had tears welling up in her eyes. 

"I fell off of El Capitan in Yosemite. I can't even tell you how many times I've climbed up that rock. I fell because I was thinking about YOU. Thinking how much I missed you. How much I was going to miss seeing you. How much I still love you." 

Those two words hit me like a brick. _Love You._

Love, well that had never been the problem.

Things had… just changed. I never had stopped loving her. 

"I know you're mad at me about what happened that night. I'm mad at me because of what happened that night. It was so clear to me what would happen to you if Tom were killed. If you killed him. And in the end he still ended up dead. And so did we." 

She swooped her hand to indicate the obvious. We were all dead. 

"You can stay mad at me. I'm going to have to live with my decision for the rest of my life. Because of me, because of my actions, we all died. I took years away from Rachel's life, by forcing you to send her after Tom."

I looked at Rachel. She was busy making out with Tobias. Who didn't seem to be complaining too much. Couldn't blame him. In that moment, when he died, he had gotten his entire life back.

I had just gotten more pain and realization. 

And if someone didn't pass this "test," It would be my fault. Again.

Cassie continued. "I don't expect you to forgive me. Because of me, you had to grow up pretty fast. And do it without me to lean on. You had to fight that war of your conscience by yourself. You had to make that final call without my support. The call that killed Tom and Rachel. I know that you still fight that battle in your mind everyday."

It was true. One thing Cassie had always been able to do was read me like a book. She knew that I lived that final battle over and over again, looking for another choice, another option. 

"You did the only thing you could have. There were no other options. You did what a leader has to do, what leaders have always done. Condemned good, honest people to death, because there was no other choice. The only mistake you made was to let it consume you for the rest of your days."

She took a deep breath. I could feel the tears streaming down my face. 

"I still love you, Jake. No matter what happens here today, nothing changes that. I still want to be with you for the rest of my life. I think…" Her voice got small, almost to a whisper. "I know that you do too. If we make it out of here, I want us to at least try to be a couple again. Because not having you in my life is tearing me apart."

I felt like my emotions had been stripped from me. She was right. About everything. My failure to see it to this point had just pulled me further and further away from what my heart told me. 

I collapsed into Cassie's arms, sobbing. I felt her arms embrace me. 

It had been so long since we had shared a moment like this. It had been so long since we had even really talked honestly to each other. What she had said, well, it was true. I still loved her. My anger and insecurity and pain had masked what had been there all along. 

I kissed her. It brought a smile to both our faces. 

I wanted to live.

****

Author's Notes: Yeah, it took me longer than I expected it to. Between writer's block and lack of time, as well as spending considerable time in a hospital room, it just took me longer than I expected. Plus, I wasn't really sure of how I wanted to shape the plot in terms of Jake and Cassie's reaction to seeing each other. The last Jake had known, Cassie was living happily with Ronnie on earth. I, however, couldn't resist bringing her into the fold. 

As my friends would say, "If you're gonna' have a party, you better make sure you have enough icing to go on the cake."

Read and PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW A LOT!!!!!!!! I NEED FEEDBACK!!!!

Chapter 4 will hopefully be posted by 10 pm on August 2nd, 2003. 


	4. Time's Up

Chapter 4 –

Rachel 

It isn't all that great being dead. While you have a sense of what is happening around you, it's really vague. 

Try this. Close your eyes, Put a clothespin on your nose, and tape your mouth shut. You can hear the world around you, but that's about it. Use that sound to paint a picture in your mind of what could be happening around you. 

That's what being dead is like. That's what I put up with for two years. Hearing Tobias, but not being able to see him, touch him, hold him, or kiss him. 

Now you know why I reacted like I did when I saw Tobias. 

***

Marco 

Yeah. Both happy couples were back together. Yipee. 

Well, I knew Jake pretty well. He was my best friend, after all. I knew he still had feelings for Cassie. Knew from my many conversations with Cassie 

That she still had feelings for Jake. 

When Jake had that whole "brick wall" thing going on between him and Cassie, he had confided in me. Whenever he 

wanted to talk to another human being about what he was thinking (which wasn't very often since Rachel died} he had talked to me about it. I, being 

The Great Peacemaker, would relay information to Cassie. 

Figured it might help them get back together, If Cassie knew what was going on inside Jake's head. 

Which was why I was not surprised to see him shoot me daggers after he and Cassie got done with their little kiss and make up thing and continued talking. 

Either Cassie had spilled the beans, or he had figured it out himself. 

Oh well. He'd probably talk to me if we made it out of here alive.

Either that, or beat the living crap out of me. 

Could be even worse than that, he could challenge me to a game of basketball. 

I'd be lucky to survive.  

And then there was bird-boy. 

I had, of course, felt bad for him. 

His life had gone from bad to worse, in a matter of two hours. 

Trapped as a bird.

Then, having Rachel, the only love he had ever known, ripped away from his life. 

I couldn't even imagine the joy and happiness he must have been swimming in when he saw Rachel again. 

Your life handed back to you. 

Good for him. He deserved it. I decided at that moment not to make a joke about that particular situation. 

Rachel would probably morph to grizzly and rip my head off. She's just crazy like that.

Cuckoo Xena. Nutso Wonder woman. An Insane Lara Croft.  All of these names would fit Rachel. 

Oh well… 

I plopped down and enjoyed the view of the universe. I knew when it was a good time to be sentimental. I was getting that 'funky lovey dovey' vibe from everyone around me. 

I guess those $1000 yoga classes were doing me some good. 

'Might as well enjoy it,' I thought to myself. 'It may be the last thing you ever do.'

***

**Ax**

The most unsettling experience of my relatively young Andalite life had just occurred. 

I remembered being enslaved by a being called "The One." Remembered meeting it while chained and shackled and being prodded by metallic sticks emanating electricity. 

It was nothing more than a Controller. 

A Human Controller with whom we (the Animorphs) were all familiar.

I listened as he explained how a 'near death' experience had done something to his Yeerk brain.

He could now control matter with a single thought. 

I believe humans call this "Telekinesis." 

He had used this power to bring even greater control over his fellow Yeerks. 

He had learned how to expand his power to control their actions. Manipulate their thoughts.  That, and the threat of Kadrona starvation had been enough to bend them to his will. 

He laughed. 

"Oh, and one more thing." He said. "I can assimilate your consciousness into my own. It leaves you dead, of course. A pity. "

He raised his hand. I felt the life leave my body. Felt my hooves give way and my body collapse to the deck.

NOOOOOO….

And then I awoke before Fate. Listened as he explained our options. I used my stalk eyes to watch my friend's reactions. 

Listened to Marco's objection to the statement "Ten of your Minutes"

While on earth, I had discovered the idea of Humor. While it was not an Andalite concept, I had tried to master my understanding of it in order to make my friends feel more comfortable around me. 

I am saddened to say that my research into this particular human trait never fruited in the way I had hoped. 

While I understood when a human was making a joke, my attempts at this particular action had never been met with success. 

No matter. I watched with a stalk eye as Prince Jake and Cassie wandered from the group. I had wished to speak with Prince Jake about the controller referring to itself as "The One." 

However, I knew of the difficulty Cassie and Prince Jake had had communicating verbally with each other. I decided to wait until their conversation was over in order to communicate my news to Prince Jake. 

I brought my other stalk eye to bear when I saw Cassie and Prince Jake begin kissing. 

I had tried it in human morph once with a female of my species whom I was in love with. 

I knew it to be a pleasurable experience intended to express love. 

I decided not to interrupt. 

I scanned the others with my stalk eyes.

Rachel and Tobias were also engaged with the act of "kissing." 

I saw Marco by himself. I decided to communicate my knowledge of "The One" with him. 

Marco, may we speak? I said in private thought speak. 

He stood and walked to me. 

"What is it Ax?" 

I believe you need to know something about The One. I swung my stalk eyes to watch the others. My final statement was to be addressed to all of them. 

He is a controller whose Yeerk has discovered how to control matter and minds.

"So what." Marco stammered "We killed him."

I doubt that. He is very powerful and resourceful. He has escaped death before.

"What are you trying to say Ax? Marco was now very interested. It was time for me to address everyone. 

Tom is The One. Or at least the Yeerk in his head is.

I saw Prince Jake stop kissing Cassie. He looked at me with astonishment. So did Cassie, Marco, Tobias and Rachel. 

They encircled me. 

Then the being called Fate reappeared.

**"Your Time Is Up. What Is Your Choice?"**

Prince Jake looked at me again. His expression told me that we needed to talk. That I should have told him what I knew before. But now was not the time. 

He stepped forward. Looked at all of us. One by one, we nodded agreement. 

Prince Jake cleared his throat, then spoke. "We accept."

*****

Notes-  Thanks to all of you who have read and review. I appreciate it. It tells me that continuing this story is worth the effort. PLEASE KEEP IT UP!!!!!!!!!

I hope you enjoyed the story up till this point. Oh, and KEEP REVIEWING!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. Sorry, to anyone who was online at 10pm sharp on August 2nd looking for this chapter. I had a problem getting online and it wasn't posted until a little after midnight. 

Chapter 5 will be posted Tuesday August 5th, 2003 at 9pm.


	5. Tobias

Chapter 5-  
  
Tobias  
  
I held on tightly to Rachel as Jake looked at all of us.  
  
I knew that we were about to be separated again, and that there was the possibility that I would lose her again.  
  
Permanently.  
  
I kissed her as Jake said "We accept."  
  
I whispered, "I love you" into her ear, and then she vanished.  
  
Everyone vanished. Everyone except me.  
  
Fate walked towards me. And I got the feeling I wasn't going to like what I heard.  
  
He spoke. "I assume you are wondering why you are still here."  
  
"Well, kind of." I realized I was giving him a "Hawk" stare. I was used to being a mile away when looking at someone, where they wouldn't notice me. I shifted my gaze. "I sort of figured I was going to be going wherever everyone else is. Wherever that is."  
  
He chuckled. "I see no reason for that."  
  
"You see, the others have gone to a place which I have created. Different for each of them, no two alike. I believe humans refer to it as an 'alternate universe'. There they will have to face whatever it is that they fear most. Their inner demon. Their darkest fear."  
  
Oh.  
  
"There will be no measure of success or failure. I have engineered every universe except one to be an unsolvable puzzle. A conundrum, if you will.  
  
"So what is this whole pass or fail factor, then? How is it a test!?" I realized I probably shouldn't have shouted at him, but at that moment I was afraid that I would never see Rachel again.  
  
"Faith." He said. "If they keep faith, if they don't lose hope, if they never stop fighting, then they are victorious. If they give up, then. well, they die. And I don't intervene.  
  
I felt a little better. Rachel was not a person to give up. She would fight and fight and fight until she couldn't anymore.  
  
She had always been the strongest willed person I knew.  
  
Time to get back to the original question. "Why am I still here?"  
  
Fate chuckled again. "Don't you get it? It should be so clear to you!"  
  
I was at a loss.  
  
"You," he said "are smarter than you are letting on. You know exactly why you don't have to face your inner demons."  
  
Nope. Nothing.  
  
"Oh well." He seemed disappointed. "I'll spell it out for you. You already have."  
  
Of course.  
  
"Losing Rachel was your greatest fear. The death of your soul mate was the thing which you feared most. And it came to pass."  
  
I kicked myself for not figuring that one out.  
  
"And in your darkest hour, you didn't lose hope. When you were about to die yourself, you had faith. Hope, because you knew that you were about to be reunited with Rachel."  
  
Yeah. And now she was gone again.  
  
Question two. "What happens to myself and the others?"  
  
"A very good question. You know what happens if they fail. If they are successful, they will come back here, and then return to earth and carry out their lives. You also will return, as the human you are now."  
  
Uh Oh.  
  
"Don't worry." He said. "You will have full use of your morphing powers. And I suspect that you will lead a happy life."  
  
Question three. "What happened to James, his band of Animorphs, and those we were with on the ship?"  
  
Again with the laugh. This was getting kind of annoying. " They had no way of knowing that death was a result of their actions. They walked into it voluntarily, and died in fear. They will be returned to their lives and bodies in perfect health."  
  
Time for the grand finale. "Who has the solvable puzzle universe and what is it they have to do?"  
  
Sounded kinda dumbed-down, but oh well.  
  
"Jake. To survive, he will have to take a life. He was faced with the choice before, and he was stopped by Cassie. She knew then if he carried it out himself, he would become a monster. I believe you can figure the rest out."  
  
Oh my god.  
  
Tom.  
  
To live, Jake was going to have to kill Tom. And this time there was no one else to do it for him, and no one to stop him.  
  
No other choice.  
  
****  
  
Author's notes-  
  
Huh. Another cliffhanger. Guess I'll just have to write another chapter.  
  
PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!!  
  
Chapter 6 will be posted by 10 pm on Friday, August 8th (or sooner if I can get around to it.) 


	6. Marco

Chapter 6 

**Marco**

Let me just say that I, for one, was not having a good time. 

This was not my idea of fun. 

Fighting bad guys while I was in morph, yeah, that I could handle. 

Twenty at once was a little too much for the gorilla to handle. Especially when the bad guys were walking razor blades.

Yeah. Twenty Hork-Bajir at once. 

And boy was I losing. Big time. 

I wondered where everyone else was. The last thing I remembered was being at the free Hork Bajir colony, thinking about the battle the next day on the pool ship, and then a flash of light, and then I was fighting Hork-Bajir.

I felt a blade sink into my back. My legs gave way, and I couldn't move my arms. 

I started to morph out without thinking about it. It was the only way to survive. 

My fur began to disappear, and my arms got skinny. The bones in my hand shifted. My knee crunched as the angle of it changed. My toes elongated. My brow receded. 

And there I was, a kid in shorts and a tee shirt, surrounded by 15 of the universe's most powerful salad shooters. 

Any one of them could slice me with those blades at any time. And I would be dead before I could do anything about it. 

I felt something hard crack against my skull, and I lost consciousness. 

*****

I woke up in a dimly lit room. Cages lined the walls. All empty. A metal pool was in the middle, filled with grey sludgy water. 

The Yeerk pool.

I tried to run. Tried to move. 

I couldn't. 

I was strapped to a table. Arm and leg restraints, the whole nine yards. 

I had imagined I would end up like this someday, in restraints I mean. 

It usually involved a padded room and a straight jacket, though. 

I heard movement next to me. 

An Andalite. Strong and powerful. Larger and more muscular than Ax. An Adult.

Visser One.

So, we have caught one of the Animorphs, have we? You really should have not tried to attack my ship head on. You are lucky I spared your life. I killed all of the others. It was necessary, unfortunately. A shame, too. They would have made excellent hosts.

No. The others.. All dead?  "NO!" I screamed. "You're Lying!"

Believe what you wish. They are dead. And now for your fate.

He opened a container. A small slug like creature slid out and dropped on the table next to my ear. A Yeerk.

"NOOOO!!!!!" I struggled against the restraints. I had to get free… I was not going to become one of them!

I felt it slide into my ear. Felt it shift and wiggle onto my brain. Felt myself lose control of my body.

NO. I wasn't going to let it win. No matter how long it took, I was going to fight it. I was going to win. 

Time stopped.

***

I saw Tobias standing some distance away. 

At least he made it out ok.

I remembered everything now. Fate had explained how he had repressed everyone's memories. To make the experience more real.

A little too real. I was still shaking like an eardrum at a rock concert. 

I took a few deep breaths. The shaking subsided, but not much.

Somehow all of my jokes over the years didn't seem so funny anymore. I was changed. After all of that war, when everything was said and done, I was the only one who ended up with everything I wanted at the end. I was the only one untouched.

I plopped down onto the invisible ground below me. 

I had passed. I only hoped the others did too. 

Especially Jake. Because I didn't think he could do it. 

Killing hosts with no name, no personal connection. That was one thing. It had been war. 

But Tom. His own brother? 

I just didn't know. 

I got the feeling I was never going to see Jake alive again.

*******

Wow. Thanks for all the reviews and suggestions. Keep them coming. They are very helpful and inspirational. I realize this chapter is a little short, but I really didn't know what to do with Marco. He really didn't have all that much to face inside his soul. Either that or I just couldn't think of anything. 

Don't forget to REVIEW!

The next chapter will be posted on Thursday, August 14 at 10 pm. 


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